The ancient village of Bornos, on the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos, is some 25 kilometres to the north-east of Arcos de la Frontera, on the road to Villamartin. Surrounded by undulating countryside with lush green meadows, it lies in a prime position on the banks of a large reservoir fed by the River Guadalete, an important tributary of the Guadalquivir.Bornos has been settled since the Palaeolithic era. Stone tools used for hunting dating back 30,000 years have been found in the area. A magnificent bronze sword, made in the 9th century BC, has also been discovered here and is now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Jerez de la Frontera. It was a significant centre for the Romans whose stone sculptures of lions have been uncovered along with other remains from their settlement, Carissa Aurelia, just three kilometres from the present town. Subsequently, a fortified tower was built by the Moors when they arrived around the 10th century, the Castillo de Bornos, ruins of which can still be seen.